The emotional toll of couples struggling to have a baby? Inconceivable.

Having a baby is supposed to be the most natural thing a woman of child-bearing age can do. It’s not rocket science. You have sex at the appropriate point in your cycle, and next thing you know, you’re pregnant. So, you follow the calendar, try to make a baby, and wait. And wait. And wait. Month after month, nothing happens, leaving you feeling broken and incomplete. Suddenly, as you walk down the street, it seems like all you see are women with bulging bellies, women pushing strollers and dads walking hand in hand with tiny, adorable children. Your relationship begins to feel the strain and suddenly sex isn’t fun anymore. It’s work — that doesn’t seem to work.

You’re not the exception and you’re not alone.

You might be surprised to know that one in eight couples in the U.S. have trouble getting pregnant — 9% of women and 10% of men under the age of 44. What these numbers show is that it is just as common for it to be an issue for a man as a woman. And the older women get, the harder it is to get pregnant naturally.

For women, infertility can occur for multiple reasons. Problems with ovulation, irregular or absent menstrual cycle. If a woman does not ovulate, she can’t release an egg. And if she can’t release an egg, she can’t get pregnant. Another common problem is polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). In simple terms, PCOS is a hormone imbalance that impedes ovulation. Some women have blocked fallopian tubes or uterine issues. And let’s not forget about the ticking clock. By the time a woman reaches the age of 40, her chance of becoming pregnant drops to about 5% each cycle.

For men, infertility has its own host of causes. Sperm quantity, quality and movement all contribute to whether he can father a child. Injuries and illness can also play a part. Substance abuse, being overweight or testicular trauma can also be responsible.

So now what? Talking with friends is uncomfortable at best. And blaming each other just makes the situation worse. What you should do is talk with a fertility specialist. One who will listen carefully and ask all the right questions. You need to find a specialist who will dig deep into all the possibilities so that you can become pregnant.

Welcome to personalized fertility medicine. Welcome to URA.

University Reproductive Associates (URA) specializes in individualized and customized infertility care. Their board-certified OB/GYN and fertility specialist team focuses on each patient’s history and reproductive health. A patient came to URA for a second opinion after years of unsuccessful fertility treatments at other facilities. The URA physicians took a closer look and found what all the other clinics had missed. After identifying the problem and determining the right procedure for the patient, they were able to help the woman successfully conceive.

“I think what URA offers the patient or couple with infertility is the most available options and the fairest explanation of all of those options,” said Dr. Peter McGovern, Medical Director University Reproductive Associates, Clinical Professor and Associate REI Fellowship Director, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health Rutgers – New Jersey Medical School, and the reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility Specialist who co-founded URA. “We don’t push people into a particular treatment. We don’t push everyone into in vitro fertilization (IVF), we don’t push everyone away from IVF.”

Finding the right treatment is key.

Some women who are single or busy with their careers may still want to plan for future motherhood. Oocyte cryopreservation, commonly known as egg freezing, allows a woman to have her eggs harvested, frozen and stored for later use. If she chooses to wait until her late 30s to become pregnant, her eggs won’t be compromised by her age.

Invitro Fertilization (IVF), recurrent pregnancy loss treatment, third party reproduction donor, Intrauterine insemination, fertility preservation — these are only a partial list of possible treatment options. URA also treats polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis and recurring miscarriages.

For years, URA has helped same sex couples in the LGBTQ community to become families — a dream that often felt completely out of reach. Some pregnancies are through third-party reproduction donors, and others have been through intrauterine insemination (IUI) or other services.

“We don’t use cookie-cutter protocols. Every couple that walks in the door, every patient that walks in the door, is unique,” said Dr. Sara Morelli, MD, PhD
Associate Professor Director, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Director, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellowship Program Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Health Rutgers – New Jersey Medical School, and another specialist at URA. “Patients feel like they’re getting really individualized care from the physicians.”

Start conceiving the future.

URA has three convenient NJ locations, and we offer telemedicine appointments. Give us a call at (201) 288-6330 or visit us at uranj.com.

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